A Sorta Fairytale
by Well see ya later
Summary: A bit of a scary situation brings two Degrassians closer together than they'd ever been. But will a creepy ex cause things to take a wrong turn?


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A/N : I've written a couple of stories here before (Cruel Despair, mostly, which I never finished -- uhh, oops?) but forgot the password to my old username, so here I am again. Hope you like. Sorry this is a little on the short side.. Next time will be longer.

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A Sorta Fairytale

Chapter One 

She only caught a glimpse of it, out of the corner of her eye, but for that second, she was positive she wasn't imagining it this time. It was real. The recurring nightmare she'd been having for the past two weeks was panning out right in front of her. It was the exact thing she feared. A shadow, half-hidden in the dark, almost haunting alley, only meters away, too far to reach out to but close enough that she could hear breathing. Faint, raspy breathing.

Sucking in a sharp breath, she stopped dead in her tracks, her body as stiff as a rail. And at that moment, it was all gone.

__

Get a hold of yourself, McGreggor. You're losing your mind.

And she was sure that she was, and he was doing it to her. The two weeks previous she'd received a rose on her locker, accompanied by a letter, all signed, _Love, Rick. Love, Rick. _It made her want to laugh and cry and vomit at the same time. _Love, Rick._

She hadn't thought it was that big of a deal at the time. Sure, he'd hit her once or twice; the faint markings of a bruise around her wrist were still visible. But that was all. It wasn't some big stalker-type deal. He was creepy, but he wasn't that kind of creepy. He wasn't a psycho. No, she was sure. He wasn't. He'd hit her, but he'd never do anything like this.

As she regained her pace, her breathing still on the heavy side and assured she'd just been making too big a deal out of nothing, she saw it again. And that time, she was positive. Her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. He was there. Watching, waiting. For what? She didn't know. The sleeve of his shirt was peeking out from behind the brick wall of a building, and she kept it in sight, too scared to do anything. She stood silently there for about a minute, tops, though it felt like an eternity. Neither one moving, both struggling to keep their breathing under control.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. She had to do something. Anything. The only thing she could come up with was simple and clear in her mind: Run. So she did, as fast as her high-heeled legs could carry her. In no time flat she could feel the slap of shoes against pavement, following dangerously close behind her.

She willed herself not to panic. Panicking didn't help in any situation; it usually made it worse. She knew that. But the more she ran, the more she slowed; unlike Rick, who was beginning to gain on her. Why had she stayed at Ashley's so late that night, and why had she agreed to walk home unaccompanied? She hadn't thought she'd need someone to protect her. 

A sudden burst of relief calmed her almost entirely as the building in front of her slowly came into view. It was still a while away, and across the street, but still, she could make it. Pushing herself as hard as she could manage, she flew into the evening traffic and, almost expertly, dodged the cars until she was safely across. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed that Rick was still on the other side, looking uneasy. Her run slowed to a jog as she reached her destination.

Usually, she would use the apartment's intercom, but tonight, there was no chance that she'd waste that time. She'd been to the place many times before, and, choosing the stairs instead of the elevator, took them two at a time towards the familiar floor.

Another wave of relief, mixed with a feeling of shock, settled over her as she made her way towards the door. She pressed the bell with a tired finger, her body now shaking, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. She felt sick.

Her nausea passed as the opening of the door in front of her revealed just who she needed. After taking one heartbreaking look at her red and make up-stained face, he could tell something was terribly wrong. A pained expression on his face, he pulled her body to his, a little puzzled but concerned nonetheless.

"Terri.. What happened?"

The tears she'd been holding in were now starting to fall as she leaned into her friend's embrace. "Jimmy.. I'm scared."


End file.
